Hamilton County, Indiana


Hamilton County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States census recorded a population of 347,467. The county seat is Noblesville.
Hamilton County is part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Hamilton County has been the second most populous county in Central Indiana. It is the highest-income county in Indiana, and one of the highest-income counties in the United States.
Hamilton County's roots are in agriculture. However, after World War II, development in Indianapolis grew northward, and cities/towns in the southern and central part of Hamilton County developed as suburbs. Residential and commercial development have replaced many farm fields, although the county's northern part remains largely agricultural. In the first decades of the 21st century, the county is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. According to 2007 estimates by the US Census, the county's population increased from 182,740 in 2000 to an estimated 261,661 in 2007, making it the fastest-growing county of Indiana's 92. As of the 2010 census, Hamilton County surpassed St. Joseph County in population, making it the state's fourth most populous.
In 2020, Hamilton County was home to three of the state's 20 largest cities and towns: Carmel, Fishers, and Noblesville.
Geist and Morse reservoirs are two man-made lakes in Hamilton County that offer boating, fishing, and waterfront living.
In June 2008, Hamilton County was named America's Best Place to Raise a Family by Forbes.com due to its strong economy, affordable living, top-ranked schools, and close proximity to Indianapolis. The city of Carmel in southwestern Hamilton County was designated CNN Money's top place to live in 2013 and in 2017, the city of Fishers was named best place to live.

History

The land containing Hamilton County was brought into the possession of the United States by the Treaty of St. Mary's in 1818. William Conner was the first white settler in the county. In the summer of 1822, after realizing there were enough settlers in the area, Conner and other settlers applied to the Indiana Legislature for a charter authorizing them to become a separate and independent county under Indiana law. The application was presented to the 1822–23 session of the Indiana General Assembly, and the act was passed and approved by the governor on January 8, 1823. The act took effect on the first Monday in April, 1823. The county commissioners first met on May 5, 1823, at Conner's house; it also served as the county circuit courthouse. The county was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the US treasury.
2,165 soldiers from Hamilton County served in the Civil War. The last veteran residing in the county died in 1942.
Most Belgian immigration to Indiana occurred in the northwestern part of the state in Lake County and Porter County. However, in the 1890s, a significant number of Belgian immigrants also settled in the Noblesville area of Hamilton County. Similarly, chain migration led to numerous first generation Serbian immigrants who had settled in Indianapolis, and their Indiana-born children, to move to Arcadia, Carmel, Sheridan, Noblesville, and Cicero around the turn of the 20th century.
Like most of Indiana, the area was also heavily German-American, with Germans being the second largest single ethnic group in the county at the time, second only to so-called "native born whites" whose ancestry extended to the original Thirteen Colonies and who were the largest ethnic group in Hamilton County at the turn of the century. During World War I, Hamilton County was noted for an extreme rise in anti-German sentiment. The name of Wilhelm Street in Noblesville was changed to Washington Street and German-Americans were subjected to bullying and abuse from their neighbors. German-Americans were one of the largest ethnic groups in the county, but the remaining two-thirds of the county were "whipped into an anti-German frenzy" during which Germanness and Americanness were presented as being antithetical throughout the press. Hamilton County was labeled the "most anti-German county" in Indiana, although such attitudes were common throughout the rest of Indiana as well. During most of 1940 and 1941, Indiana as a whole was very isolationist, with much of the state preferring that the country stay neutral in the European conflict. However, Hamilton County was a "hot-bed of interventionist and pro-British sentiment", which stood out because unlike many other places in Indiana, most people in Hamilton County were in favor of American entry into the war, and were in favor of providing Britain with as much aid as possible as well.

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Noblesville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May. Hamilton County's climate thus falls within the Köppen climate classification system as a humid continental temperate climate, with pleasant spring and fall seasons surrounded by harsh cold and humid heat in the winter and summer, respectively.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Major highways

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 347,467. The median age was 38.0 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.8 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 80.3% White, 4.3% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 6.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.2% of the population.
94.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 128,475 households in the county, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 61.2% were married-couple households, 12.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 135,064 housing units, of which 4.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 274,569 people, 99,835 households, and 74,755 families in the county. The population density was. There were 106,772 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 88.5% white, 4.8% Asian, 3.5% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 1.2% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.0% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 13.0% were English, and 7.7% were American.
Of the 99,835 households, 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age was 35.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $95,376. Males had a median income of $67,221 versus $44,273 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,500. About 3.6% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Life expectancy

The life expectancy in Hamilton County in 2010 was 81.21 years, up 6.6 percent from 76.16 years in 1980. By comparison, the US national average in 2010 was 78.49 years.

Government

The county executive body is the Board of County Commissioners, which consists of three Commissioners representing their three respective districts.
District 1 consists of Carmel, which is coextensive with Clay Township. District 2 consists of Fishers, Noblesville, Delaware Township, and Noblesville Township. District 3 consists of Adams Township, Fall Creek Township, Jackson Township, Washington Township, Wayne Township, White River Township, Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero, Sheridan and Westfield.
The current County Commissioners are:
  • Christine Altman - District 1
  • Steven C. Dillinger - District 2
  • Mark Heirbrandt - District 3
The county's finances are managed by the County Council, which consists of seven members, four elected by district and three elected at-large.
District 1 consists of parts of Clay Township. District 2 consists of Delaware, Fall Creek, and Wayne Townships. District 3 consists of Noblesville, Jackson and White River Townships. District 4 consists of parts of Clay Township, Adams and Washington Townships.
The current members of the County Council are:
  • Tim Griffin - District 1
  • Amy Massillamany - District 2
  • Mark Hall - District 3
  • Ken Alexander - District 4
  • Brad Beaver - Council member at large
  • Steven Nation - Council member at large
  • Sue Maki - Council member at large
Hamilton County is part of Indiana's 5th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 20, 21, 25, 29, and 31; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 24, 29, 32, 37, 39, and 88.